Joshua's Law

So, you’ve got driving in Georgia on your mind?  If you’re a new driver to Georgia, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the Georgia Department of Driver Services.  You won’t have much time, either, as Georgia law requires that you must apply for a Georgia driver’s license within 30 days of becoming a Georgia resident.  Here are the basics you’ll need to know to get your Georgia Driver’s License or Georgia Learner’s Permit. 

Also, you’ll want to know about the new Joshua’s Law requirements for getting a Georgia driver’s license if you’re a teen driver.  Joshua’s law applies to you if you are 16 and ready to get your driver’s license in Georgia.  This article addresses the Joshua’s Law requirements, below.  It also advises you about the opportunity to satisfy the Joshua’s Law course requirements online.  The ability to satisfy Joshua’s Law class requirement online makes it easy for Georgia teens seeking to get their drivers license sooner rather than later.

Transfer Licenses: Transferring an Out of State License to a Georgia Driver’s License

If you are 18 or over and already have a driver’s license from another state, you’re in luck.  The Georgia Department of Driver Services has Customer Services Centers around the state where you can transfer an out of state license to a Georgia driver’s license.  You’ll just have to provide the proper information (proof of license, citizenship, Georgia residency, etc.) and pay the fee, and you’ll be ready to drive in the Peach State.

New Georgia Drivers License

If you are a first time driver, or do not have a driver’s license from another state, you will need to apply for a license with the Department of Driver Services to obtain a Georgia drivers license. Most drivers will apply for a Class C Georgia drivers license (which permits you to drive any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating not in excess of 26,000 pounds).  If you are a first time driver, you’ll apply for a Class D Georgia drivers license (a Provisional License, which has certain restrictions until you get your Class C). A valid learner’s license must be held for one year and one day from its issuance for a first time driver to obtain a Class D License.  *Effective January 1, 2007, all 16 year olds must also be incompliance with Joshua’s Law to be eligible for a Class D Georgia License – see below!

Motorcycle drivers will apply for a Class M Georgia license, for which you must be at least 16 year’s old, and you don’t need to have a Class C Georgia license first.  Applicants must be 16 years old for Class D and M Georgia drivers licenses.

Requirements and Being Prepared
When applying for a Georgia drivers license, be prepared to show proof of residency (such as a utility bill or bank statement issued in the last 60 days or a school transcript).  You’ll have to surrender your license, identification card or instructional permit from any other state.  New Georgia residents must show some acceptable form of personal identification that includes full name, month, day and year of birth.  All applicants must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or that he or she is legal alien with INS.

Georgia drivers license applicants must pass a driver examination, which determines ability to operate a motor vehicle safely.  It includes an eye test, a road signs test, a road rules test and a driving test.

All unlicensed applicants under 18 will be required to show (on a form prescribed by the DDS) they have completed a course on alcohol and drugs before they are issued a driver's license.  Applicants under the age of 18 also must show a Certificate of Attendance as proof of enrollment in school or has received a GED, high school diploma or has completed high school.

To be issued a Class C Georgia drivers license, an applicant who has never been issued a license by another jurisdiction must show that he or she has either completed an approved driver education course and has at least 20 hours of other supervised driving experience with at least 6 hours at night OR that he or she has completed a total of at least 40 hours of supervised experience including at least 6 hours at night.

Effective January 1, 2007 there are new requirements for class D driver’s licenses!

Under Georgia’s new Joshua’s Law requirement, to get a Class D driver's license at age sixteen (16):

   * You must have completed a driver education course approved by the Department of Driver Services and
    * You also must have completed a cumulative total of at least forty (40) hours of other supervised driving experience, including at least six (6) hours at night.

If you have not completed an approved driver's education course, you cannot get your Class D Georgia driver's license until you reach age seventeen (17). Remember, forty (40) hour of driving experience, including six (6) hours of driving at night, is always required for a Class D driver's license.

Luckily, Georgia has approved online Joshua’s Law courses.  Joshua's Law can help you quickly access a Joshua’s Law course online.  Because the Joshua’s Law course is available online, you can accommodate the new Georgia driver’s license requirements for teen drivers from the comfort of your own home.

Georgia Instructional Permit (also called a Learner’s Permit)

Applicants for a Class C Instructional Permit in Georgia must be at least 15 years old and be able to pass the eye and knowledge test. When driving, there must be a licensed driver at least 21 years old in the front seat with him or her at all times.  The permit is valid for 24 months.  Parental consent is required for applicants under 18 years of age.